Nationwide Strike Alert: ASUU Declares “No Pay, No Work” as UNIJOS and UniAbuja Begin Walkouts
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed its branches nationwide to suspend all academic activities in response to the delayed payment of June 2025 salaries. The action aligns with the union’s long-standing “No Pay, No Work” policy, activated when wages lag beyond a three-day window. So far, federal branches at University of Jos (UNIJOS) and University of Abuja (UniAbuja) have begun withdrawing services in line with the directive.
ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna confirmed the decision in Abuja, noting that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) agreed any month with delayed salary disbursement should trigger an automatic service withdrawal . He described the situation as unacceptable, particularly after transitioning from the IPPIS to GIFMIS payroll system—an upgrade that has reportedly worsened salary lagging.
Despite multiple meetings with the Minister of Education and the Accountant General, no solution has emerged, prompting ASUU to enforce the policy. If there is no pay, there will be no work, Piwuna emphasized, accusing the Office of the Accountant General of deliberately delaying the payment of even late-arriving funds. He added that the system is functional—but government agents are “not willing to make it work. Beyond the salary backlog, ASUU also flagged N10 billion in unpaid Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). Though N40 billion was released, the remaining N10 billion remains outstanding. Piwuna urged its immediate payment to avert further conflict.
At UNIJOS, ASUU Chairman Jurbe Molwus confirmed service withdrawal—including lectures and meetings—for any salary delay past the third working day. The branch’s monitoring team is actively enforcing the strike. Similarly, UniAbuja’s branch, under Chairman Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, has initiated strike action due to the salary delays. While the university’s spokesperson, Dr. Habib Yakoob, declined comment, he referred inquiries back to the union leadership